Is Rahul Tripathi one of the most underrated batters in Indian cricket?

The Indian Premier League was established back in 2008 by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). At that time, not many people could have imagined the kind of impact it will have on Indian cricket and how it will change the face of cricket in India forever. Fans were used to watching the traditional formats which were One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Test match cricket. It was only in 2007 that the T20 format started getting recognition. Even stalwarts of Indian cricket had not realised the potential of the shortest format of the game. As players like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid had opted out of the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa. 

The focus is usually always on the young and upcoming players but that trend too might be changing. A couple of years back Suryakumar Yadav became a fan favourite after his consistent performances in the IPL. Fans were gaga over the batter and wanted the batter on the Indian team. Fan's wishes came true when the stylish batter was included for the series against England at home. Similarly this time, Rahul Tripathi's performances have become the talk of the town. It is known that the batter has been around since 2017 when he first played for the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiants.

The IPL final in 2021 saw Rahul Tripathi injuring himself during the game because of which he had real problems when he came out to bat. He batted at number 8 that night and was limping but still tried to give his best. After being dismissed for 2 from 3 balls I remember CSK captain MS Dhoni had some kind words to say to him as a mark of respect for Tripathi's effort. That's the kind of commitment Rahul Tripathi has towards his game.

However, Kolkata Knight Riders did not retain the batter ahead of the mega-auction which in my eyes was a mistake because he had done brilliantly in the previous season. So, he was in the auction pool, and when his name came up bids were flying fast as they started with INR 40 lakhs. CSK and KKR were bidding furiously for the batter until SRH came in and bought him for a sum of INR 6.5 crores.

The 31-year-old batter is being appreciated by fans and ex-cricketers for the way he has performed this season. Rahul Tripathi has shown a lot of maturity whenever he comes out to bat and this can only come with experience. the kind of experience that he has had in the IPL over the years has helped him understand game situations much better. 

Another thing that has improved about him is his understanding of his own game. When he bats, it is visible that he understands his game much better than what he used. He can play the field and can make the bowlers bowl according to his strength when he is striking the ball. A batter with an understanding of his own game and who can analyse the match situation and play according to it is a real asset for any side that he plays for.